User Reviews

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88

ArcadeThe Atari Times

Actually, there's nothing really more to say about this, other than it's a fun pinball game, with bonuses to light up, drop targets to knock down, and a personal high score that you're trying to beat. The controls were perfect, since all you had were the flippers, nudging was accomplished by pushing a panel your palms rested on, and a plunger to launch the ball. Having four flippers kicked butt too, whereas pretty much every other pinball game out there only had two (or just one paddle, as I mentioned earlier: what idiot thought a paddle should go in place of flippers for pinball? It's not called "Breakoutball" for a reason, guys!). Even the cabinet itself was pretty unique in that it was very small.

This is the kind of game that you can play over and over again, and you'll do a little better each time. I remember playing Video Pinball with my childhood friend Billy, and he could keep one ball going forever (much to my chagrin). It bears little resemblance to actual pinball, but Video Pinball's unique style of play makes it an enjoyable experience all of its own.

Still, the flaws of this game are minimal compared to the entertainment quality of this game for the true pinball fanatic who is a fan of the Atari 2600. The game might not last forever, but it will last a while and will be something that would be worth coming back to periodically. Therefore, my recommendation is that you should strongly consider buying this game if you find it at a reasonably low price.

The rollovers are pretty cheap because they are situated directly over the bumpers. By using the nudge you can continuously bounce the ball over them, racking up some huge scores. Maybe this game isn't as good as I remembered, but I still like it.

Playing Video Pinball again after 30 years was like finding an old favorite hat that had since been chewed on by rats. Before writing this review, I spent two hours playing it and enjoying myself. However, when I had to take the rose-tinted nostalgia goggles off, I realized that there are a LOT of much-better pinball video games out there. Video Pinball was definitely not bad for the first pinball video game, but it just doesn't hold up to today's standards. Unless you're nostalgic (like me), it's best to let this one drain.